Malaysia Announces adopt-an-orangutan plan for palm oil importers

Sub: Env

Sec: Species in news

Context:

Malaysia’s Commodities Minister, Johari Abdul Ghani, announced that companies importing palm oil from Malaysia can adopt orangutans, but the animals must remain in the country. This revision comes after initial plans to send orangutans abroad as trading gifts faced backlash from conservation groups.

Details:

The original plan in May aimed to use orangutans as trading gifts to address concerns about the impact of palm oil production on their habitat. However, this was met with objections from conservationists due to the critical endangerment of orangutans.
The revised approach focuses on collaboration with palm oil buyers to preserve the forests where these primates live.
The Minister pledged to halt deforestation in Malaysia, maintaining that 54% of the country is forested and that this figure will not fall below 50%.

What is Orangutan Diplomacy?

It is a Malaysian strategy that seeks to use orangutan conservation as a tool of soft power, inspired by China’s “panda diplomacy.”
It had first announced plans to gift orangutans (IUCN Status: Critically Endangered) to palm oil-buying countries.
It engages other countries in conservation efforts, focusing on symbolic adoptions rather than sending animals abroad.
Reasons behind:
- Palm Oil Industry Criticism: Malaysia faces criticism for deforestation due to palm oil plantations, threatening orangutans.
- Enhance Image: It aims to counter negative perceptions and showcase commitment to sustainability and position Malaysia as a leader in wildlife protection.
- Global Cooperation: It seeks to strengthen ties with major palm oil importers like China, India, and the EU through conservation partnerships.

Orangutans:

Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia, currently found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra.
Originally considered a single species, they were reclassified into two species in 1996: the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus, with three subspecies) and the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii). A third species, the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis), was identified in 2017.
Orangutans are the only surviving species of the subfamily Ponginae, which genetically diverged from other hominids (gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans) between 19.3 and 15.7 million years ago.

Physical Characteristics and Behavior

Orangutans are the most arboreal of the great apes, spending most of their time in trees. They have long arms, short legs, and reddish-brown hair.
Adult males weigh around 75 kg (165 lb), while females weigh about 37 kg (82 lb). Dominant males develop cheek pads and emit long calls to attract females and intimidate rivals.
Orangutans are largely solitary, with strong social bonds mainly between mothers and their offspring.
Their diet consists mainly of fruit, but they also consume vegetation, bark, honey, insects, and bird eggs. They can live over 30 years in both the wild and captivity.

Intelligence and Cultural Significance:

Orangutans are among the most intelligent primates, using sophisticated tools and constructing elaborate sleeping nests nightly.
Their learning abilities have been extensively studied, and there may be distinctive cultures within different populations.

Conservation Status and Threats:

All three orangutan species are critically endangered due to severe population declines and shrinking habitats caused by human activities.
Major threats include poaching (for bushmeat and retaliation for crop consumption), habitat destruction and deforestation (mainly for palm oil cultivation and logging), and the illegal pet trade.

Source: TP